Red ink: Cincy extends Arroyo

Keeping pace with the Cardinals in the National League Central arms race, the Reds have announced that they have signed Bronson Arroyo, 33, to a three-year contract extension.

Arroyo will get $35 million over the life of the deal. He was 17-8 with a 3.88 for Cincinnati in 2010. He's 70-60 with a 3.97 ERA since joining the Reds in 2006 and is 103-93 with a 4.13 ERA in an 11-year career that includes stops with Pittsburgh and Boston before joining his current club.

Before signing the extension, Arroyo was set to make $11 miilion in the option year of a contract he signed before the 2009 season. The Reds announced a month ago that they would pick up the 2011 option.

The deal leaves the Reds right at the $75 million mark for their 2011 payroll. Former St. Louis GM Walt Jocketty's shrewd decision to extend and re-negotiate third baseman Scott Rolen's contract will help the Reds tremendously over the next two seasons. Rolen made $11 million last season. But he'll accept a pay cut to $6.5 million over the next two years. That will be quite a bargain if he can stay healthy and stay anywhere near his 2010 production level.

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About Cheap Seats

Scott Wuerz is a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan and a veteran writer. He has penned the View From the Cheap Seats Cardinals fan blog for the Belleville News-Democrat since 2007.
Contact him on Twitter @scottwuerz or by leaving a comment.